X Men: The Mutant Problem
by Andarian
Summary: As mutation begins to occur more often, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters begins to take on new students. But both the veteran X-Men and the new arrivals will soon find that there are more enemies out there than they thought, human, and mutant.
1. Xavier's School for the Gifted

**X-Men: The Mutant Problem**

Chapter 1

Alex dragged his feet through the dirt path next to the road, his eyes drooping and staring blankly into the distance. His black pants and shirt were covered in dust from walking all day, yet the day was only half over. The warm temperatures forced Alex to carry his trench coat in his arms, though it did very little to cool him down. The dryness of his mouth only added to the painful reminder of his dehydration. Looking at the watch on his wrist, he pressed on of the buttons on the side twice, and percentage appeared on the screen. A brief grunt escaped his lips as he read the number. It was only early afternoon, and already the watch read thirty-eight percent.

Taking his fedora off, Alex fanned himself in a vain attempt to cool himself down. He heard there was a school along this road, but there was no sign of civilization besides the paved road. There road was lined with trees, but they did not yet provide any relief from the sun. Yet all that mattered was that he find the school, and soon. With only thirty-eight percent left, he wouldn't last much longer without resting.

Another five minutes went by, though it felt like eternity. It was then that a feint sound of a motor could be heard in the distance. A car maybe? Alex stopped and looked both ways, but saw nothing yet. He decided to wait there, and sure enough, a motorcycle appeared from around the corner. Maybe it was someone heading to the school. As it approached, Alex took a step back to avoid the vehicle. It stopped a few feet in front of him.

The rider was a male with hair that appeared to be jelled up, and a short beard along the sides. The look kind of reminded him of a wolf. "Hey kid," the man called out in a slightly scratchy voice. "What are you doing out here?"

Alex didn't know whether or not to trust this man, but he decided to approach him anyway. "I'm looking for Xavier's School for the Gifted," he announced, his voice shaking. He both hated and feared the fact that he was a mutant. Having to admit it was difficult.

"Well your not far away," the man said. He shifted forward on his seat a bit and revved the engine. "Get on. You look like you could use the rest."

Alex put his coat on and held his fedora close to his chest. As he got on, the man passed back a helmet which was hanging loosely on the handlebars. Alex accepted it and put it on. "Why aren't you wearing it?" Alex asked after fastening the chin strap.

"I don't need it," the man answered simply.

As they rode through the forest, Alex welcomed the wind against his face. It wasn't long before they reached a clearing where a large, old-looking building was standing. Vines scaled the walls and nearly reached the roof. A large brick fence encased the entire lot, with a metal gate at the opening. Though he could not see it, Alex could sense several electrical circuits running through the wall, more than what was needed to power the front gate, which swung open as they approached.

The man drove up to the front entrance, and turned to look back at Alex. "Classes are going on right now," the man said. "Try not to get in the way."

Alex got off the bike and began to go up the stairs. He turned back to the man and asked, "I'm Alex. You are...?"

"The name's Logan," the biker answered. "The Wolverine." With that, he drove off and around the corner of the building. Probably to the garage, Alex assumed.

Turning to the door, Alex took his hat and replaced it on his head. He had no where better to put it. Before going inside, he glanced at his watch again. Now it read thirty-six percent.

The inside of the school was absolutely gorgeous. The wood floors were polished and reflected the light perfectly, the walls were colored with pleasant shades of brown, and the elegant lights mounted to the wall gave added a medieval feel to the place. Many pictures of people Alex didn't know lined the walls in the main hall. From where he stood, Alex could see what appeared to be an entertainment room, though it was currently empty. Logan did say classes were going on. As Alex walked through the halls, he wandered past a kitchen, but most of the doors he saw were closed.

As Alex went deeper into the mansion, he began to sense some complex electrical systems. As he began to focus on those systems, he noticed that the lights began to flicker around him. He looked around and focused, but the flickering just got worse. A low buzz began to fill his head, gradually getting stronger. Again, Alex tried focusing on the lights, but his vision began to blur, and quickly went dark altogether.


	2. A Shocking Discovery

**X-Men: The Mutant Problem**

Chapter 2

"That's him," Logan said, nodding slightly. "He said his name was Alex. Found him walking along the road."

Several people stood around Alex, who was laying on a medical bed in a well let room. There were many machines around him, but all of them were shut off. In the room, Logan stood with four other people. The first was a tall and slender red headed woman wearing a lab coat. The next was a younger girl who had brown hair with white bangs, wearing a black t-shirt and jeans, and wore black gloves that covered up to her elbows. The third was a man who wore red glasses and was dressed in casual clothes. The last was an older, bald man who sat in an advanced wheelchair and was dressed in a blue suit with a matching tie.

Logan looked up at the celling as the lights flickered momentarily, before returning to normal. "What's with the freaky light show?" he asked rhetorically. "Hey Jean, aren't you supposed to have him hooked up to all these machines to determine what's wrong with him?"

The red head looked up at Logan. "It's because of his powers. He can disrupt the flow of electricity around him," she answered. "But that's not all. It seems that his entire body is charged with electricity, making it impossible for me to hook anything up to him while he's unconscious."

"So what do we do?" the man in red glasses asked. "We can't even touch him without getting electrocuted."

"That's why I asked Rogue here," Jean replied. "Maybe she can drain enough of his powers for us to get the machines working."

The man in red glasses crossed his arms. "I don't like the sounds of the. Professor Xavier, there must be something we can do." The older man did not respond.

The girl with the white streaks sighed deeply. "I have no idea if my powers will even work on him. Can't you just go into his head and figure out what's wrong that way?"

Jean shook her head. "Because of the electricity running through him, it blocks my telepathy. Professor, your telepathy is stronger. Why don't you try?"

Xavier moved in behind Alex and placed his hands around Alex's head. He closed his eyes and sat very still, but only for a moment. Opening his eyes, he shook his head and said, "I'm afraid I didn't get much more than you. The electricity disrupts his brainwaves, making it near impossible for me to read his mind."

Jean returned her focus on Alex. "Then we have to try to get him hooked up to these machines. Rogue, do your thing."

The younger girl was hesitant, but began to take off the pair of black gloves. Logan patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry kid," he said, giving her a nod. "You can always borrow my powers if you need them."

Rogue smiled in return. "Thanks Logan." Reaching over, Rogue touched Alex's arms. Immediately she felt a tingling in her arms. This was not her powers, but Alex's. The sensation was both painful and pleasant. Slowly, she could feel that sensation crawling up from her arm, up to her shoulder, and spreading to the rest of her body.

"I think that's good Rogue," Jean decided, her glance going back and forth between Rogue and Alex. "Rogue, that's enough." Jean noticed that Rogue wasn't letting go. It almost looked like she couldn't. Jean focused on Rogue's hand, causing it to suddenly snap open, sending Rogue across the room and into the wall.

Logan ran over to Rogue and propped her up and touched her skin. A few seconds, and Rogue's eyes opened and she pulled away from Logan.

Jean turned to Scott and pointed to the equipment. "Scott. Help me get the equipment on. Maybe now we can run some tests."

They barely began to move some equipment into place when a faint beeping sound filled the room. The source was the watch that was around Alex's wrist. Turning it, Jean's face turned from curious to fear. Unstrapping the watch, her suspicions were confirmed when the watch did not remove easily. Instead, two thin metal prongs that were imbedded deep in Alex's skin pulled out with the watch.

"If I'm right, we have to get his powers back right away!" Jean exclaimed. "This watch keeps track of the amount of power he has in his body. It's currently below ten percent."

Scott darted over to the medical cabinet and prepared the defibrillator. "Will this be enough?"

Once again, Jean had a curious face. She focused on Alex, and slowly began to turn him over onto his stomach without touching him. She then lifted up his shirt, revealing a small piece of metal grafted into the middle of his back. "No need. But I do need an extension cord."

Scott didn't bother asking why. Leaving the defibrillator where it was, he exited through the automatic doors and disappeared down the hallway. A moment later, he returned with a long, orange extension cord meant for one plug. Scott plugged one end into the wall and handed the other end to Jean.

After a slight pause to consider what she was doing, Jean inserted her end into the slot. But nothing happened. Jean took the watch and returned it to it's position on Alex's wrist, sliding the metal prongs back into the piercings they had come out of. The watch returned to beeping, but it was a slower pace. A small lighting blot moved from one end of the screen, disappeared, then started over again.

"Jean? What's going on?" Logan asked, after helping Rogue to her feet."

"This may sound odd," Jean said, perplexed. "But I think Alex is charging."

Xavier moved in closer to examine the piece of metal. It rose over the skin level by half an inch, but was no larger than a baseball in area. "I wonder who did this."

Logan stood behind Xavier. "I may have been a mutant experiment, but this is taking things too far." Logan made a fist in front of his face. "Who would have the technology to perform this? And how did he even survive?"

"Wolverine's right," Scott added. "He only survived because his mutation involves healing. From what we've gathered so far, Alex's powers are all about electricity."

Xavier turned and began to head for the doors. "Jean, I want you to run some tests while you can. Try to figure out exactly what that port in his back does."

"What about you Professor?" Jean asked quickly.

"I'll be in Cerebro."


	3. True Potential

**X-Men: The Mutant Problem**

Chapter 3

Alex awoke in a strange room. The walls were metallic looking, and there were no windows anywhere. There were several machines lined up against the wall. None of them were on. Several cabinets could also be seen, but he couldn't really make out what was behind the glass doors. The door on the far side of the room was round with a single seam down the middle.

When he tried to roll over onto his other side, he felt a tug on his back. Someone had plugged him in. It was then when he remembered about the incident in the hallway, and fear began to wash over him again. Where was he? This didn't look like the mansion he was in earlier.

"Relax," a female voice said from behind him. "You're in good hands. I'm just reviewing the data we collected."

"Are you going to experiment on me too?" Alex asked angrily.

The female walked around the bed Alex was in so that he could see her. Alex now saw her long, straight red hair and slender profile. "Of course not," she replied.

Alex used his arms to sit up, being careful not to pull on the cord that was in his back. As he did, he noticed he was shirtless. He was, however, still wearing the watch. Ninety-three percent. Returning his focus on the woman in front of him, he asked, "Who are you?"

"My name is Dr. Jean Grey," she answered. "I am a mutant, just like you." Her voice was mesmerizing.

Alex was suspicious. After all, this didn't look like the mansion. "What are your powers? You don't look like a mutant."

"I am very much a mutant." The voice definitely belonged to Jean, but her lips didn't move. Alex felt a tug at his back. When he turned, he saw the cord that was in his back was floating in mid air behind him. "I have the powers of telekinesis, and telepathy."

Alex turned back to Jean, and for an instant, he thought he saw something in her eyes. Dismissing it, he nodded with approval. "So you have mind powers, basically."

Jean reached for a clipboard that was on the desk behind Alex. The clipboard gently hovered into Jean's hands. "I want to get a better understanding of your powers," she said, this time, with her lips moving. "It appears that you have control over electrical currents. Do you know the range?"

Alex shook his head. "It depends on the power source. I can sense larger currents from farther away, but in most cases I have to be pretty close to the current in order to do anything with it."

Jean nodded and continued to write on her clipboard. "This is just for our information, and it will remain confidential," she said without looking up. She must have read his thoughts, because he was just wondering why she needed to write all of this down. "What else can you do?"

Alex reached forward took a hold of Jean's arm. As he did, Jean's facial expression changed, showing a mixture of excitement, shock, and confusion. Alex could feel the flow of electricity drain from his body, flow through his arm, and into her. His gaze was fixed on his hand and her arm.

Alex only held on for a few seconds. As he let go, Jean took a hold of her arm with her other hand. "That's impressive."

Alex shrugged. "My body stores the electricity, which I can then use to power things. That port on my back only serves to charge me. But as long as I hold something that uses power, I can power it."

"Very interesting," Jean murmured. "Your cells can expel the electricity on contact. You and your powers have great potential."

Alex looked confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Jean took her clipboard in her hand and started to write some notes. "You had to concentrate in order to produce that much. I'm sure with training, you'll be able to do a lot more."

Alex laughed. "You think I was concentrating to use that much?" Alex raised his right hand and made a fist. Flicking his hand open, blue bolts of electricity danced between his fingers. Closing his hand, he made the same movement again, only this time he flexed and extended his arm to it's full length in front of him. A giant blue bolt shot out of his hand, leaving an impressionable hole in the southern wall. "I was concentrating on holding back."

Jean shook her head. "In that case, you're going to have to learn control."

Alex shot a dangerous glare. "I have control."

"And yet you cannot touch people without sending electricity into them."

"I think I've done pretty good on my own!" Alex retorted angrily. Sparks started to shoot out in random directions, and the lights began to flicker. It was only a brief moment before Alex regained control over his emotions and his powers.

Though nothing was said, Alex could tell that Jean had something to say, but wasn't saying it. He wasn't sure if he liked or disliked that choice, but decided to follow her example and not say anything.

After Jean wrote a few more notes on the clipboard, she let it drift back over to the table and resumed conversing with Alex. "Scott has gone ahead and prepared a room for you. Once you get settled in, Professor Xavier has offered to give you a tour of the mansion."

Alex nodded and got up. After finding his shirt and dressing himself, he unplugged the cord from the wall and wrapped it around his shoulder. Taking his hat and coat in hand, he made for the exit, before turning to Jean and asking for directions. It turned out that he was in the basement of the mansion.

Jean did a quick cleaning of the room using her powers, then brought Alex to the elevator that led back to the main floor. From there, she escorted him to his room, where he immediately flopped on the bed and closed his eyes. But sleep did not come.


	4. Powers and Dangers

**X-Men: The Mutant Problem**

Chapter 4

Professor Charles Xavier sat in his office which overlooked the back garden of the mansion. Cerebro did nothing to solve the mystery of Alex's appearance. Even here in the mansion, Cerebro could not detect Alex as a person, probably due to his mutant gifts.

What worried him more, however, was the number of mutants realizing their gifts. With the mutant community increasing at the rate that it was, it would be hard for them to conceal their existence. It wasn't just him who knew it, either. Opening his mind, Charles knew that many of the students were uneasy. Word had got around about Alex, and rumors and theories started to spread like wildfire.

"Professor?"

Charles opened his eyes and found Jean, Scott, and an older African woman white hair standing in the doorway. "Yes, come in," he said after a moment.

It only took a moment for the three of them to make their way into the room. Jean and the white haired woman sat on the couch facing Charles, and Scott leaned against the back wall.

"What have you learned Jean?" Charles asked the red head.

"Alex is one complicated mutant," she began, hesitating to find the right words. "His powers are more complicated than we could have imagined. Almost every individual cell has the ability to contain enough power to charge a lightbulb for an entire day. In total, he can store the entire electrical force of a bolt of lightning. The device in his back was designed to easily recharge his body cells. It's connected to his spine in multiple areas using wires graphed into his skin."

Scott shifted his position slightly. "So how did he survive such a process anyway?"

"Again, his powers," Jean explained. "He has healing powers, but not like Logan's. When Alex receives a cut or a bruise, he can use the energy stored to..." Again, Jean paused to find the right word. "...excite the cells in that area, and cause them to regenerate."

Charles folded his hands and used them to prop his chin. "Doing so must drain him of his powers, which would explain the watch he wears."

"Exactly," Jean confirmed. "The watch serves as a gauge, telling him just how much power he has. Doing anything, including walking, drains power."

"What happens when he becomes totally drained?" the white haired woman asked.

"That's the first danger of his powers," Jean continued. "The human body is capable of generating it's own electricity. This electricity, and the electricity from his powers, are one and the same."

"So if he uses too much," the white haired woman mumbled. "He could die."

There was a moment of silence before Jean continued. "The second is that he is not immune to the flow of electricity. When he demonstrated his power, leaving a hole in one of our walls, I noticed that his hand was smoking a little. I didn't get a clear look, but I believe that his hand was slightly burned. This only happens when he expels a physical bolt of electricity."

Xavier unfolded his hands and adjusted himself in the seat. "Besides those, are there any other issues with his powers?"

"Yes. The third issue is physical contact, like Rogue. When she absorbed his powers, there was a struggle between the two. That's why I had to pry her off myself. And last is water, though this is unconfirmed."

"What do you mean 'unconfirmed?'" Scott asked.

"I mean I didn't test this," Jean replied. "But I think it's safe to assume that since water conducts electricity, a large amount of water could cause a lot of problems for Alex. You wouldn't drop a toaster into a bath tub."

Xavier moved closer to his desk, and accessed the computer. "Ororo, I'm placing you in charge of his mutant power development."

The white haired woman straightened her back a bit. "Of course Professor. But why me?"

Xavier smiled. "Because you can control the weather. You know what it's like to summon lightning from the sky. You can teach Alex the emotional control that he needs to master his gift."

Xavier felt good that Alex sought them out. There was no doubt in his mind that Alex was a class four mutant. Their meeting didn't last for much longer. They talked a bit more about certain situations around the mansion, but it wasn't long before they parted ways.

"Ororo," Xavier called before the white haired girl exited the room. "Would you like to come meet Alex? I promised him a tour of the mansion before the end of the day."

Ororo simply answered, "Of course."


	5. Tour of the Mansion

**X-Men: The Mutant Problem**

Chapter 5

Alex wandered around his room, examining the furnishings he'd be living with. The bed was plain with a single sheet over top. Luckily, it was big enough to comfortably support Alex's long body. There was one other bed in the room, though Alex didn't know who occupied it yet. There were two dressers on either side of the room beside each bed, though Alex didn't really have anything to put in them. His hat he left on top of it, and he coat hung loosely on a coat rack beside the door. Besides that, the only noticeable feature about the room was that it had a pair of windows that opened to the front of the the school.

An hour passed by with Alex doing very little in his room. He found an outlet where he could plug himself into using the extension cord, and preceded to reach a full charge. Alex shook his head as the too familiar buzzing in his head returned, faintly, but noticeable. This usually happened when he was slightly over charged. In order to correct the problem, Alex sat on his bed and flicked his hand open. Small streams of blue electricity danced between his fingers. Focusing, the bolts grew slightly in size, and the low hum was made by the physical bolts in Alex's hand, and not from in his head.

As he reduced the flow, eventually ceasing it altogether, Alex concerned himself with the newly raw patches of skin on his hand, but after a brief moment of focusing, the skin reformed itself. The buzzing in his head didn't completely cease, but at least now it was tolerable.

Alex jumped as someone knocked on the door. Obviously it wasn't his roommate since whoever it would be wouldn't be knocking. Getting up, Alex reached for the door and casually opened it. There before him was a bald man in a wheel chair and a woman with white hair, though she did not seem very old. "You must be Professor Xavier," Alex greeted.

"Indeed I am," Xavier replied. "Charles Xavier. Sometimes I am referred to as Professor X."

Alex nodded. "Professor X... Is that some kind of mutant alias? I've heard of some mutants doing that."

"You could say that. This is Ororo Munroe," Xavier continued, making a slight nod toward the white haired woman."

"Hello child," she said, a slight accent trailing off her tongue. "I have heard much about you. I am called Storm. I will be your power development teacher."

Alex raised his brow in confusion. "What's power development?"

Xavier motioned for Alex to follow him, and he began down the hallway. "Storm can manipulate the weather at will, summoning clouds and rain, as well as dissipating such conditions to bring out the sun. She can even call down lightning."

Alex's eyes darted over to Ororo with the last comment. The ability to summon such an electrical force amazed him. A sense of envy an jealousy washed over him.

"Yes it is truly something to behold," Xavier said suddenly. Again, Alex raised his brow in confusion. Before Alex could ask, Xavier answered, "I have the ability to read people's minds and control their thoughts."

Alex nodded to himself. "Interesting. I'll have to be careful with what I think then." Ororo merely chuckled to herself. "So you are school teachers here?"

"Yes," Ororo answered. "We provide our students with primary and secondary school education, as well as teaching others how to control our powers."

"What about after that?" Alex asked, a hint of fear entering his voice.

Ororo turned and placed her hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. "Even after you master your gifts, we will still be a safe place for all mutants who wish to seek refuge here."

Alex shrugged his shoulder, and Ororo removed her hand. Alex didn't want any sympathy. And he hated it when people called his abilities a gift. They were a curse. He couldn't touch people, and couldn't get wet. How was that a gift?

"I built this school many years ago," Xavier began. "Storm and Jean were two of my first students. I wanted to build a safe place for mutants to develop their powers, and learn control. Not just control of their powers, but control over their emotions. Mutants are feared because we are different, and mutants get angry about that. It's my hope that one day mutants and humans can live together in peace."

Alex grunted. "Why would I want to live amongst the people who did this to me?"

"You've already graduated from high school," Xavier continued, clearly ignoring Alex's comment, "so you won't have as many academics as some of the other students, but I would suggest you focus on a few subjects to keep you occupied during the day."

As they continued their journey through the mansion, they came through the entertainment room first. Xavier explained that this is the main place where students can unwind and hang out. There were several large TVs in the room with access to hundreds of channels, foosball tables, pool tables, and a shelf full of board games and books.

The next room they arrived in was the kitchen. Alex was given the meal hours, and informed about the rules of the kitchen. Despite Alex's powers keeping him awake and active, he still needed to eat, though not as often as others.

As they passed the elevator, Alex motioned to it, asking, "What about down there? What are all those rooms down there?"

Xavier stopped and turned around to face Alex. "Most of the students here don't know about the lower levels, and we ask that it stays that way. We only take some students down there, and only on certain occasions."

Alex wanted to ask about these occasions, but he decided not to. Besides, if Xavier was willing to answer, he probably would have read Alex's mind before doing so.

The rest of the tour was for the most part uninteresting, mainly because they were of the classrooms which they couldn't go in because classes were currently in session.

The sun was now starting to set, and Xavier returned to his office. Alex and Storm watched him go for a moment before turning and heading in the opposite direction. "So what am I going to do now?" Alex asked himself.

"You could come help me prepare dinner for tonight," Storm suggested. "I could use the extra hand."

Alex laughed. "Not if that extra hand would cause more problems. Sorry but I don't cook."

With that, he and Storm parted ways. Alex wandered the halls a bit before finding the entertainment room. He wasn't sure where the remote for any of the TVs were, but that didn't stop him. With little effort on his part, he turned the TV on with is powers, and began flipping channels.


	6. The Girl Across The Room

**X-Men: The Mutant Problem**

Chapter 6

Alice smiled at herself in the mirror as she ran a brush through her blond hair. Her sapphire blue eyes met those in the reflection and she smiled. She took a step back and examined her outfit. Today she decided to wear a black tank top under a red off-the-shoulder t-shirt, and a pair of black skinny jeans. Looking closer, she saw that her left shoulder appeared to be flaking, which became smooth again after a moment of concentration.

"Can you hurry up?" a female voice said from behind her. "I'm hungry and I want to make sure I get a good seat."

"Hang on Megan, I'm almost done." Turning around, Alice saw a younger girl with pink, shoulder length hair, and a pair of rainbow, translucent wings, sitting on one of the beds. As they met eyes, Alice felt her skin crawl. It had been months since they started to room together, yet she couldn't get over those pitch black eyes of hers.

Walking away from the mirror, Alice placed the hair brush on the dresser beside her bed and nodded. "Let's go then," she said with a smile. "So how were your classes today?"

Megan let out a long sigh. "As usual, it's our math class with Scott that always brings me down."

Alice laughed. "Oh come on. Quadratics aren't that hard."

"Says the one that couldn't remember her order of operations," Megan retorted.

As the pair of them walked past the kitchen, they picked up a plate of spaghetti and a bowl of caesar salad. They briefly said hi to Storm, then preceded to the entertainment room. Once there, they sat at a round table in the far corner of the room and began to eat.

"Storm really knows how to make a good meal," Alice said after swallowing a mouthful of noodles.

"Hey Alice, who's the new guy?" Megan asked, subtly pointing to the room's main entrance.

Alice and Megan both watched as a man with black hair walked into the room carrying a the same meal. They continued to watch as he made his way to another empty table, sat down, and began to eat. "I'm not sure. He must've arrived today," Alice replied.

Megan swallowed a mouthful of salad. "He sure is cute. I wonder what his gifts are."

Alice elbowed Megan playfully. "Maybe we should ask him to join us."

Megan blushed and shook her head. "There's no way I'm going over there. You do it."

"Alright I will," Alice said, laughing as she got up. She casually walked over to the table where the black haired guy sat. He looked early twenties, and there was no visible sign of mutation. She also wondered how he liked his women to look, but she quickly dismissed the idea, for now.

As Alice approached, the guy did nothing to acknowledge her presence. After a moment she said, "Hey stranger. You new around here?"

He looked up at her, his blue eyes meeting hers. "Yeah. I just arrived today. This seems like a safe place."

Alice smiled and walked around the table to stand beside him. "It is. I've been here for a couple of years." She extended her hand and added, "I'm Alice." She was disappointed when he didn't take it.

"Alex," he said quietly.

"Ok Alex, why don't you come sit with me and my friend, Megan?" she asked, waving him over to their original table.

Alex just shrugged. "I don't know..."

"Oh come on. No need to be shy." As Alice said this, she reached forward and grabbed a hold of Alex's bare arm. Suddenly, she felt her arm begin to tingle. She tried to let go, but her body wouldn't respond. This sensation was painful, but she couldn't do anything to stop it. Her vision blurred and she felt herself fall over and hit the floor, though she remained conscious.

"Are you ok?" she heard Alex ask.

She blinked and looked up. She was under the table now. "Yeah I think so. What happened?" A hand reached under the table, and Alice took it, accepting the help up. It wasn't Alex's hand.

When she stood, she saw that Megan was standing there with Alex, both of them staring at her. "What are you looking at?"

Alex cleared his throat. "When I accidentally electrocuted you, you fell through the table. You look different too."

Alice gasped and looked at her hands. Her skin was replaced with white scales, which reflected the light beautifully. In the reflection, she saw a hint of red, which could only be her hair. It was then she realized that the shock caused her body to revert to it's normal form. Concentrating, she resumed her cover of normal skin, blond hair, and blue eyes.

Alex smiled. "That sure is an interesting power."

Alice could feel her eyes starting to water. "You think looking like a freak is interesting?"

Embarrassed and upset, she turned and ran from them, and did not stop until she was in her room and laying in bed. Unable to contain her emotions, she began to sob, burying her face in the pillows. No matter what she did, Alice couldn't deny what she was. Yet she could do nothing but try to hide and look normal. That's what upset her.

"You ok Alice?"

Alice looked up and saw Megan closing the door behind her. "Yeah, I'll be fine," she lied, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Why did you run off like that?" Megan asked, sitting on the bed at Alice's feet. "You don't need to be embarrassed about your abilities."

"I don't want people to see what I really look like," Alice confessed. "When I touched Alex, something happened and I lost my concentration. I even phased through the table. What did he do to me?"

"I'm not sure," Megan started, "but I think I heard him say something about electricity. Maybe he generates electricity, or something like that."

"How did you deal with it?" Alice asked, still sobbing. "You have wings, a weird hair colour, and your eyes..."

Megan folder her hands in her lap, and gently fluttered her wings. "I didn't have to wait long. Xavier brought me here when I first developed my abilities. My parents were understanding. I still go visit them every once in a while."

"Lucky you," Alice sighed. "My mutant powers developed at birth. My father couldn't accept the fact that his new daughter was a mutant and left. Eventually I ran away from home. I've been here ever since."

Megan pulled Alice into an upright position, then wrapped her arms around her in a comforting manner. "You have the ability to change your molecular structure. You can change how you look, and disappear through walls when you don't want to be seen. All I do is through dust at people and fly. And I'm not good at the second one yet either."

Alice couldn't help but giggle. "You do look pretty silly in that helmet."

Megan nudged Alice gently. "That's better." She stood and started for the door. "I'm going to go get us some more food and bring it up. I'm sure Storm will understand."

Alice nodded, and proceeded to remove the last of the tears from her eyes. When Megan was gone, Alice stood and went to the window. For some odd reason she couldn't get Alex's face out of her head. He sure was cute.


	7. Volt

**X-Men: The Mutant Problem**

Chapter 7

Alex focused and shut the TV off as several students began to file out of classrooms. Some of them were coming into the entertainment room with food. Storm had probably finished making dinner. Getting up, Alex walked through the halls, being careful not to accidentally bump into anyone. He wasn't sure how much his powers would affect anyone here. Even if it wouldn't, getting several volts of electricity shot through your body wasn't a nice thing at all.

It wasn't long before he got to the kitchen and was leaving with a plate of spaghetti and a bowl of caesar salad. As he made his way through the halls, many younger students watched him carefully as he passed. Most of them looked normal, while others has some oddities to them. One that really stood out was a male with blue skin and even a tail, though Alex couldn't get a real good look at him, as he disappeared an instant later. A puff of smoke was all that remained.

Alex found his way back to the entertainment room, somewhat displeased that there were students sitting in front of each TV. He was only gone for a moment, but already the entire place was extremely busy.

A low hum began to fill Alex's head, and a small spark jumped from his thumb to the metal fork a couple of times. The business had Alex nervous, but he kept his powers in check.

Looking around he spotted a round table near the back of the room that was unoccupied. He quickly but cautiously made his way toward that table, sat down quietly, and began to eat.

From what Alex could tell, most of the students were still high school students. Very few of them were older. Maybe it was because the older mutants decided to leave. Xavier did describe this place as a safe place for all mutants, as well as a school for developing mutants. This meant that Alex's reason for being here was because he had no where else to go, and his powers weren't fully under his control.

His mind drifted to people like Ororo and Xavier. They both had aliases. Ororo was Storm, and Xavier was Professor X. Alex started to consider what his could be when he was interrupted.

"Hey stranger. You new around here?"

Alex looked up and found a girl with blond hair and blue eyes smiling at him. Why did someone have to talk to him? He just wanted to be left alone. Still, he didn't want to be rude. "Yeah. I just arrived today. This seems like a safe place."

Alex grunted quietly as the girl took a seat next to him. "It is," she said cheerfully. "I've been here for a couple of years." She extended her hand and added, "I'm Alice." Alex looked at the hand, but otherwise did nothing.

Despite not wanting to continue conversation, Alex introduced himself. It got worse when Alice invited him to sit with her and her friend. Megan was her name. Alex took a brief moment to look up at her. She certainly stood out with her pink hair and rainbow, translucent wings. Despite Alex's refusal, Alice insisted, and before he could react, she stood and took hold of his arm. Immediately, Alex could feel the power from his body passing to the girl's body.

Though her grip tightened, Alex was able to pull away, but the girl began to fall into the table. What was odd was that the table didn't stop her. Alex got up and looked under the table, where a girl with red hair, and white scales now lay. Was this the same girl? It had to be. He watched her fall through the table.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips as she moaned quietly. "Are you alright?" he asked. Alex then decided that he would have to wear sleeves at all times in order to prevent this from happening, though he knew current could still travel through clothes.

To his left, the pink haired girl was now beside him, reaching under the table to help the red haired girl up. It had to be Alice because this girl was wearing the exact same clothes. Once she stood, Alex realized that her eyes were now red as well. When she asked what happened, Alex answered, "When you touched me I accidentally electrocuted you. You fell through the table. You look different too..."

When she realized what she looked like now, she closed her eyes and the girl with blond hair and blue eyes returned. Alex couldn't help but smile. She could pass through objects, as well as change her form. "That sure is an interesting power," he said in an attempt to comfort her.

Alex recoiled slightly when she glared at him angrily. "You think looking like a freak is interesting?" She then turned and ran out of the room.

Alex turned to Megan. "What was that about?" he asked.

Though she appeared to be a sweet and cheerful girl, Megan's tone clearly held strong emotions. "Alice has the ability to restructure her body to the molecular level. It allows her to change her appearance and pass through solid object. What did you do that caused her to almost faint?"

Alex really didn't want to reveal any more information about him than he needed to. "I can store electricity in my body. When people touch me, that electricity can transfer from me to that person."

Megan shrugged. "I don't know how that would cause her to lose control, but I'm going to go calm her down." She turned to leave, but before she did, she called to Alex. "We're on the third floor, room 322. Give us some time, but feel free to come visit."

Alex watched her leave, and allowed a deep sigh of relief. "Not even a day here and already I'm causing trouble," Alex muttered to himself.

Gathering his near empty plates, he returned to the kitchen, where Storm and Jean were busy cleaning up. Jean was using her powers to sort the clean dishes into their proper place.

He placed his dishes on the counter, beside Storm. "When do I start?" he asked her.

"Start? What do you mean by that, child?" she asked, taking Alex's dishes and rinsing them off.

"My training. I need to learn how to control my powers." Alex looked down, embarrassed and scared. "There was an incident in the entertainment room..."

"I know," Jean said, still concentrating on performing several tasks with her powers. "I could sense it from here. Shift touched you and your powers caused her to lose her concentration."

"I... uh... I'm not in trouble am I?" Alex asked, stuttering slightly.

Storm let go of Alex's plates but they did not fall onto the counter, instead, they hovered there for a moment, before being telekinetically sorted into a large dish washer. "Now why would you say that?" When Alex didn't say anything, Storm returned to cleaning dishes. "My class starts at two in the afternoon. Think you'll be up for it?"

Alex nodded slightly. He wanted it to be in private, but he figured the chances of there being time for a one on one training session were very slim. "I'll be there," he replied.

"Then run off to bed," Storm suggested. "You have a long day tomorrow."

Alex took her suggestion and started up the stairs in the main hall. He stopped at the second floor entrance, and considered going up to the third floor to see Megan and Alice. Shaking his head, he opened the door to the second floor, and quickly went to his room, though only to grab his coat.

Returning to the stairs, he Alex pulled his coat on and searched the halls for room 322. It didn't take very long to find it. Hesitating, Alex brought himself to knock on the door gently.

The door opened, and Megan appeared to greet him. "Oh Alex, what a surprise." Alex was about to ask what she was talking about when she pressed her finger to her lips.

From behind Megan, Alex could hear Alice's voice. "Alex? What are you doing here? How did you find our room?"

Alex didn't answer, and neither did Megan. Instead, Megan led him into the room, where he found Alice sitting on her bed, her normal disguise still in tack.

Alex leaned against the wall and smiled. "So, you are known as Shift," he said amusingly. "An interesting choice."

The relieved look on Alice's face meant she was glad he didn't bring something up. "You like it? I thought is suited my powers."

"My mutant name is Pixie!" Megan chimed in.

Alex turned to face the pink haired girl. "What can you do?"

Megan took a step back. "I suggest you cover your mouth." When Alex and Alice did so, Megan lifted her arm. In a swift flourish, what appeared to be small, pink sparkles started to fall from Megan. "Trust me, you don't want to breathe these in."

Alex went wide eyed. "Why? What do they do?"

Megan lowered her arm. "It makes people hallucinate, though I can't control what they see."

Alex looked down at his hands. He raised his right one, and flicked it open, allowing the blue bolts to dance between his fingers again, a light buzzing noise filling the room. "I can do a lot more than that," Alex added a moment later.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room, and Alex decided that it was time for him to leave. "I'm sorry for what I did," he said to Alice while facing the door. "I'll learn to control it."

With that, Alex exited the room, and closed the door before anyone could say any more. The look on their faces told him that they were kind of scared about his powers. In the back of his mind, the words "class four mutant" echoed. Alex wasn't sure where it came from, or where he heard it, so he ignored it and started down the hallway and up to his room.

When Alex got back to his room, he saw another guy sitting on the second bed. He was holding a small zippo lighter, flicking it open and closed. "I heard I was getting a roommate," he said without taking his eyes off the lighter.

Alex didn't know what to say. "Yeah that would be me," he replied, taking off his coat and hanging it up.

"You better not snore, because I can't stand people that snore." As Alex got closer, he saw that this man was closer to his age with brown hair. He was fairly slender, but it was clear that he worked out a bit.

"No I don't snore," Alex responded. "In fact, I barely sleep."

"That's good to know." Again, this guy began to flick the lighter open and closed. "The name's John, but I prefer Pyro."

Alex nodded. "Mutant alias... You do something with fire?"

Pyro opened the zippo and lit it. Then, opening his other hand, the flame left the lighter and sat in his hands. "I can do anything but create it."

Alex just watched for a moment, impressed. "I'm Alex. I can control electricity and store some in my body." To demonstrate, Alex again flicked his hand open, summoning the blue bolts between his fingers.

Pyro nodded. "What's your story Alex?"

"Story?" Alex repeated confused.

"My parents are from Australia, but we moved here when I was young," Pyro explained. "My powers manifested at thirteen."

Alex looked down at the bolts dancing in his hand. "I'm not sure, actually." He took a moment to think before continuing. "I don't remember what happened to me before a few months ago. All I know is that my name is Alex, and I can control electricity. I've been told that the brain has a type of electricity and that my powers may be damaging my memories." He folded his hands, stopping the flow of electricity.

Pyro began to flick the lighter open and closed again. "Well that sucks," he responded bluntly. "Anything I should know about your powers?"

Alex sighed quietly. "Don't touch me. Electricity transfers on contact. Also, don't disturb me when I'm plugged in." Alex took the extension cord he had been carrying and found an empty wall outlet and plugged the cord in. After taking off his shirt, he took the other end, found the strange device on his back, and plugged it in. Alex could feel the power starting to fill him.

The apparatus in Alex's back didn't seem to disturb Pyro at all. In fact, Pyro made no noticeable emotion at all, nor did he say anything about it. "Do you have an alias?" Pyro asked, watching Alex intently.

Alex shook his head in response. "I haven't really thought of one yet. Never had the need to do it either."

Pyro laughed. "Are you waiting for someone to give it to you? You make it yourself."

Alex sat on the bed and thought for a moment. He wanted his alias to reflect both his powers and his personality. After a moment, he flicked his hand open again, this time pouring more of his power into the bolts. The humming also increased as he did so, until the bolts began to make a cracking sound, like a quiet version of thunder.

"Volt."


	8. X Men

**X-Men: The Mutant Problem**

Chapter 8

Xavier sat at his desk looking at the group of mutants that occupied the room with him. Scott was leaning against the wall as he always did, his eyes hidden behind the red glasses he had to wear. Logan was also leaning against a wall, but he was leaning against the opposing wall. Jean and Storm were sitting on one of the couches in front of him. Rogue was sitting in a chair beside him, and Hank, a big man with large muscles was pacing back and forth behind her, using both his arms and legs. They were all focused on the flat screen television that was mounted to the wall to Xavier's other side.

"The Senate was in complete horror today as another military equipment manufacturing complex was attacked, presumably by a small group of mutants," the reporter said, as images of a demolished building appeared on the screen. "Several casualties have been spotted being carried away, but police have not commented on how many, or what the culprits were after. One survivor said that a man with long blond hair, fangs, and sharp claws tore though the door and proceeded to kill anyone in his path."

Logan growled, but said nothing.

"Another survivor said that one of the other mutants could stop the bullets before they could bring down the mutant terrorists. The building was destroyed after strange seismic activity was detected in the area. At least five mutants were involved."

Xavier turned the TV off, and looked at the mutants in the room with him. "This makes the third attack this month."

Scott shook his head. "Why can't we go after them? Isn't that what you've been preparing us for?"

Hank paused his pacing. "Violence is never the answer, whether human or mutant."

"Tell that to the Brotherhood," Scott retorted.

Hank said nothing, but resumed pacing.

"It's not the Brotherhood I'm worried about," Xavier continued. "I do want to know what they're up to, but we might have more pressing issues right now. The Senate plans to introduce a Mutant Registration Act. With these attacks, the act may pass."

Logan growled again. "I don't like that sounds of that. I don't like being caged."

"How can they do that? What about our rights?" Rogue asked, her voice wavering slightly.

Storm shook her head. "As far as the government is concerned, the rights are for humans. We're mutants. Therefore, we have no rights."

"That's not entirely true Storm," said Jean. "There are some in the government that fight for us."

"But not enough," Storm replied.

Xavier raised his hand to quiet everyone down. "This act is only meant to identify us, or so they say. This will be met with great resistance from the mutant community. From what I've gathered, the primary force behind the Act is Senator Robert Kelly. I will try to arrange a meeting with him. There is an upcoming hearing, and I wish Jean to come with me."

"Why me Professor?"

"You are one of the most gifted mutants I know," Xavier explained. "Your kind nature may prove to some that not all of us are dangerous."

"Professor, let me try to track down the Brotherhood," Scott suggested. "We need to know what they're up to, and we have to stop them. If they harm any more people, all mutants could be in endangered."

"I will let you go Cyclops," Xavier began. "Just not yet. I need the rest of you to examine our students and select some of the more mature members whose powers could be useful. We must begin to prepare for the war that may come. We have to be ready."

Storm leaned forward. "What about Alex? He's one of the few class four mutants we have."

Xavier shook his head. "I don't trust him just yet. I'd rather you pick some of the mutants we've had for a while." Storm said nothing. Alex did have a great amount of power, but his allegiance was still unknown. "However, I want you to take him down to the Danger Room tomorrow. I want you to examine his control over his powers."

Logan grunted. "If my old friend will be there, I'll make sure to pay him back for all the lives he took." Raising his right fist, three metal claws pierced his skin and raised up between his knuckles.

"No Wolverine," Xavier said, clearly upset with Logan's comment. "You know that's not how we do things around here."

Wolverine smiled in a dangerous way. "That's not how _you_ do things. It's how I do things." Lowering his arm, the claws retracted back into his arm, the wounds healing rapidly.

Cyclops shook his head at Wolverine, but otherwise ignored him. "I have a few ideas of who we could add to the team. I'll talk to Bobby and John."

"I'll see about Megan and Alice," Jean suggested.

Rogue couldn't help but smile. "Finally!" she exclaimed. "Others my age on the team."

"What about Remy and Pete?" Cyclops asked.

"Pete's still in Russia visiting with family," Xavier explained. "I'm not sure where Remy is."

"Good," Wolverine growled. "He can stay wherever he is."

"You're no better than he is," Cyclops said angrily.

"You want to say that again?" Wolverine dared, extending his claws again.

"Gladly," Cyclops replied, a red glow coming from behind the glasses.

"Stop it, both of you," Jean said, standing up. "Remy is just as much a part of this team as you are Logan."

"We need to be united, now more than ever," Xavier added. "Try to get along." Wolverine retracted his claws and walked out while Cyclops did nothing. Xavier looked at the remaining group and reluctantly smiled. "You are some of my first students. We need to show the world that we are not to be feared. You all know what you have to do. Jean, I will let you know when I have arranged to meet Senator Kelly. Good luck, X-Men."


	9. The First Session

**X-Men: The Mutant Problem**

Chapter 9

"That should do it," Storm said as she lifted her hands from the keyboard. She sat at the main console of the Danger Room's second floor. It was a small room that overlooked the main area. Clicking ok in the program window, she watched the room transform into a forest setting. It was the basic setting for certain practice sessions. Pressing another button, the environment returned to normal. Now it was just a room with large metal tiles along the ceiling, walls, and floor.

A few minutes later, Storm watched Alex walk through the main door of the first floor dressed in the same black pants and black t-shirt. His straight black hair appeared to be lightly brushed, but otherwise he looked like he did yesterday.

Storm pressed a button with a mic on it. "Good morning Alex. How did you sleep?"

Down on the main floor, Alex heard Storm's voice echo through the room. He looked up and saw her in an observing room above the rest of the room. "Well enough. What is this place?"

Storm pressed a few buttons on the console, and a few rocks appeared in the room below. "This is a simulation room. We use this room for many purposes, including training. It has become known as the Danger Room."

Alex walked over to one of the rocks and reached out his hand. The surface was cold to the touch. Focusing, Alex listened for the flow of electricity, but heard nothing. "How is this possible?"

"Xavier has a friend who helped build this place years ago," Storm explained. "His powers are actually similar to yours."

Alex punched the rock and let out a curse. As far as he could tell, it was indeed real. "Why can't I sense the electricity being used in this room?"

Storm laughed. "If I told you that, I'm sure you'd be able to figure out a way around it." Pressing another button, the rocks disappeared. "I brought you here because I want to witness the extend of control you possess. I hope you came with a lot of power stored. Let's begin."

Alex's eyes darted left and right, up and down, as the environment slowly began to change. First, the observation room disappeared from his view, replaced with a blue sky. Then the floor turned into a grassy field. The walls were replaced with a view of a simulated distance. Trees started to pop into view until an entire forest surrounded Alex. The smells and sounds that accompanied were real enough as well.

A moment later, Alex saw what appeared to be a target flip out from behind a tree. "Are you serious? Target practice?"

Alex flicked his hand open, and launched a blue bolt at the target. The bolt hit it's target, completely destroying it, save for a small corner attached to the hinge.

"Child's play," Alex scoffed.

Another target appeared farther away. Without approaching it, Alex flicked his hand open again and shot a bold toward the target. This time, only the corner of the target was hit. "Fine, I'll play you're little game."

Alex started running toward the target, and shot a second bolt, this time successfully destroying the target.

As Alex ran down the path, he destroyed each target with little effort. He even easily used both hands to destroy two targets at once.

"I'll show you what I can really do." As the targets started to appear more rapidly, Alex created a single large bolt with two hands. After shooting it at the first, he concentrated and sustained that bolt, causing it to jump from one target to the next, destroying each one perfectly. After seven targets however, the bolt dissipated.

Looking at his watch, Alex nodded with satisfaction as his power level was still over ninety percent.

When Alex looked back up, he noticed that the room had returned to normal, and Storm appeared to be clapping from the observation room. "That was exceptionally well done."

Alex looked at his hands and watched the burn marks become healthy skin again. "What was the point of that? I could have simply told you."

Storm placed her hands on her hips. "I've learned more about you and your powers than you probably would have told us," she began. "For instance, you use hand gestures to generate your bolts. You use the friction created to more easily focus the flow of electricity. You also showed me how fast you can run. By channeling your powers to your legs, you increased your strides and endurance. This is also how you can heal the burns from the discharge. I'm sure you use this to increase your strength as well. It might be possible to use this to increase your senses too, but we'll leave that for another day."

Alex shuffled his feet, but otherwise said nothing. These were things that Alex discovered himself, but barely understood. He hated someone knowing more about him than he did. "Are we done?" he said after a moment.

"Yes, we're done for now. I will want to take you through some other simulations later." Storm turned to leave, but looked at Alex one more time. "Remember, you have class today after lunch. We'll see you there."


	10. A Beautiful Day

**X-Men: The Mutant Problem**

Chapter 10

Jean smiled as a gentle breeze lifted her red hair and caused it to dance behind her head. The summer sun was a bit on the warm side today bit the cool wind helped to create a perfect balance. She watched silently as students walked and socialized on the grass below. Stray thoughts wandered into her mind, but they did not bother her too much.

Jean saw some her own students, including Rogue, sitting under a tree and enjoying an early lunch. She was sitting with Bobby and John, both Storm's students. Watching rogue, she wondered how much of Alex's abilities she still held, and if she absorbed any of his memories. Those, however, were questions for another day.

A new, but familiar mental presence appeared behind her. "It's not time for our session yet Professor," she called out without turning around.

Xavier moved his chair beside Jean and allowed his eyes focus on the activity below. "I shouldn't need a reason to see one of my oldest students."

"You don't need much of a reason for anything, Professor," Jean joked in response. She quietly glanced over at Xavier, then resumed watching the students below. "I'm worried about what the twins said last week."

"Don't trouble yourself over the things they said," Xavier warned. "I allow you to listen to them because I believed you would not worry over it. You know they're not always right."

"I know Professor," Jean sighed. "But I can't help but feel like something terrible is about to happen."

Xavier gently patted Jean on the shoulder, but said nothing more on the matter. Instead, he changed the subject to Alex. "Did you see anything while you were in his mind?"

Jean gave a slight look of confusion at the question, which only grew as she attempted to recall the event. "I'm not exactly too sure of what I saw. His mind seem jumbled and confused. While unconscious, there seemed to be no coherent thought."

"Indeed that seems to be the case," Xavier replied. "Yet when I was walking in the hall with him, I could clearly hear his thoughts." He paused for a moment. "I have a theory, but I'll need to confront him about it later."

"Talking about our new guest are we?" Storm appeared from the building and walked up to Jean and Xavier.

"In fact we are," Jean answered, a sort of proud tone in her voice. "How did your tests go this morning?"

Storm provided Xavier with a small stack of papers. "It was more or less what we expected. Definitely a class four mutant. All the details are there in the report. Though I get the feeling that he's still holding back."

"Maybe he's not fully aware of his own gifts," Xavier suggested while skimming through the report. "I'm going to go look through this. I'll see you at out normal time, Jean." Xavier turned his chair around and was soon inside the mansion.

Jean watched Xavier disappear into the mansion, then turned to Storm. "Nice weather today. Did you have anything to do with it?"

Storm chuckled. "No child, this is all mother nature's doing."

Stray thoughts began to creep into Jean's mind again. This time, it took more concentration before she could subdue her telepathic abilities. Storm must have noticed, for she raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder. "You alright?"

Jean shook her head slightly. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Just some stray thoughts from the students." Storm watched her carefully, her face showing her concern. Jean sighed, then asked, "Do you ever have problems controlling your powers?"

Storm nodded slowly. "If I'm not careful, my weather can mimic my emotions. When I cry, so do the clouds. I've been training for years with Xavier in order to keep my emotions under control."

Jean looked down toward the lower field. "I've been having problems keeping out of people's heads. Yet I have trouble lifting larger objects with my mind."

Storm wrapped her arms around Jean. The embrace reminded her of a mother hugging her child. "You will master your powers, Jean."

"I sure hope so," Jean replied calmly, though inside, she felt like screaming.


	11. The Rogue

**X-Men: The Mutant Problem**

Chapter 11

Alex sat by himself under a tree, occasionally allowing small sparks of electricity jump from his fingers. These people made him feel very uncomfortable, yet welcome. It was an odd sensation. Vaguely, he recalled going to hospitals, and being told that he was not welcome there. Something also about an ambulance haunted his memories, but he could not remember why.

Across the field he saw his roommate, Pyro, sitting with a female and another male. Looking at the female, he noticed a small electrical current that she held in her body. She often looked up in his direction, which he responded to by pretending he was looking elsewhere. After he was sure she was looking away, he returned to watching her.

Something about her fascinated him. He barely noticed Alice… or Shift… when she sat beside him. He wasn't sure if she said anything to him, and he wasn't willing to respond. Without turning, he asked, "That girl over there, with the white bangs… Who is she?"

Alice turned and followed his gaze. Her face scrunched up a bit, and she looked at Alex, a hint of jealousy in her voice. "That's Rogue. I'm not sure what her real name is, though. She's not the nicest person around, that's for sure."

"There's something about her…" he trailed off, focusing on Rogue again. It seemed that the two guys were doing most of the talking, while Rogue sat there and listened.

Alice pretended to ignore him, and busied herself by unwrapping the sandwich she brought with her. After taking a few bites, she made another attempt at a conversation. "So I hear you were down in the Danger Room for an early morning practice. How did that go?"

Alex grunted. "It was pointless. These people think they know me and my abilities better than I do." His focus on Rogue was temporarily broken. In its place, an anger began to fester. "They think they can just test me like this? How is that any better than the humans?"

Alice was both shocked and disturbed. "Was it really that rough?"

"It wasn't rough," Alex responded angrily. "Storm had me shoot at targets. Pointless." A silent gasp escaped his lips as he realized that the fists he had formed were sparking dangerously. He shook his head, stood, and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Alice demanded. "I spent all morning looking for you."

"Do us both a favour next time…" Alex barely glanced back at her. "Don't bother." Hurt, Alice just sat there and watched Alex cross the field.

As he walked, Alex felt electricity jump from his fists. Why did everyone have an interest in him? Someone always had to be talking to him or trying to understand him. Why couldn't people just leave him alone?

Without realizing it, Alex soon passed the spot where Pyro, Rogue, and the other guy were sitting. His thoughts were too fixed on how these people were treating him. Still, he thought, it's better than with any human.

His train of thought was so focused, that he did not hear Rogue calling after him. It wasn't until he felt a gloved hand grip his arm that he noticed anything. Immediately, he jerked away, as the gesture normally left the other on the ground, shaking uncontrollably. He was surprised, however, to see the girl with white bangs was still standing.

"Sorry," Alex apologized, slightly embarrassed. "I was deep in thought."

"It's alright," Rogue said in a strong southern accent, followed by her alias, which Alex nodded to. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I know what it's like. When you arrived, no one could touch you without getting hurt. Jean used her powers to bring you down, but they needed me to drain your powers before they could help you."

"So how do you think you know what it's like to be me?" Alex asked, both rudely and defensively.

"I can't touch people either. When I touched you, I also absorbed a lot of your memories, though most of it I couldn't make out. I'm sorry for that intrusion."

Alex chuckled under his breath. "Thanks for the honesty, but don't go around thinking you know me. I don't see how you can when I can't."

Before Rogue could respond, Pyro and the other boy they were with came up to her and Alex. Pyro glanced at Alex. "We got class soon. You coming?"

Alex appeared to ignore the question. "Who's this?"

"Bobby Drake," the other boy said, offering his hand. Alex looked at it, but shook his head. Bobby took the hint, and replaced his hand at his side. Maybe it was simply his imagination, but Bobby's hand looked a little blue, as if he had been in a cold place for too long.

Shrugging, Alex turned away from the trio. "I guess I'll see you there," Alex said hesitantly, before resuming his fast pace. The fist he formed at his side sparked slightly as he walked.


End file.
